Documentation

Types of documentation available

The Centre national des arts plastiques houses extensive documentation available to the teams of the institution, but also to curators, exhibition curators and researchers by appointment only. A substantial body of documentation is made available to curators, exhibition curators and researchers. It consists of over 9,000 books and subscriptions to some thirty news and specialised periodicals on contemporary art, which continually add to the documentation on the collections. An image database of over 130,000 visuals is available to borrowers (subject to conditions)_

SCIENTIFIC DOCUMENTATION ON THE COLLECTIONSMainly developed since the 1960s on the artists and their works registered in the inventory of the Fonds national d’art contemporain, this documentation has grown with the number of acquisitions in the various collection areas and the State commissions of the institution, now amounting to a body of over 70,000 works and 12,000 artists for the modern and contemporary period.

GENERAL DOCUMENTATIONFocusing mainly on the art of the last thirty years, this documentation consists of general and monographic publications, exhibition catalogues and contemporary art collection catalogues, as well as many periodicals. New material is continually being added, in the form of gifts from artists when their works are acquired, catalogues received in connection with loans, and the contributions of the publishing grants awarded by the Cnap. The organisation currently holds over 9,000 publications and also subscribes to some 30 news and specialised periodicals on contemporary art, continually adding to the documentation on the collections.

There is a special area for viewing documentation, available upon prior request and by appointment only. For such a request, please email: documentation.cnap@culture.gouv.fr_

ARTWORK REPRODUCTIONOnline reproductions of artworks from the collections are for personal viewing only. Their use is subject to current regulations and in compliance with copyright and image rights.For any artwork reproduction request, please email the image library: photo.cnap@culture.gouv.fr_

EDUCATIONAL DOCUMENTATIONEducational documentation on the collection and exhibitions has been developed since 2010. It is available for download on the website (French version) under the “Documentation” heading.

For any inquiry as to educational documents, please email the Head of Partnerships, Patronage and Cultural Mediation, Aurélie Lesous (forename.surname@culture.gouv.fr)